Zoning describes the control of land use and development through division of areas into zones with regulations governing structures in each zone. It aims to promote orderly growth, separate incompatible uses like residential and industrial, and provide public services and amenities. Common zones include residential, commercial, and industrial. Zoning plans map zones and rules that are legally enacted to guide future development.

2. Meaning of the term
 Zoning describes the control by authority of the use of land, and of
the buildings thereon. Areas of land are divided by appropriate
authorities into zones within which various uses are permitted.
 Zoning is the process of planning for land use by a locality to
allocate certain kinds of structures in certain areas. Zoning also
includes restrictions in different zoning areas, such as height of
buildings, use of green space, density (number of structures in a
certain area), use of lots, and types of businesses.
 Levels or types of zoning include open space, residential, retail,
commercial, agricultural, and industrial.

3.  Thus, zoning is a technique of land-use planning as a tool of urban
planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word
is derived from the practice of designating mapped zones which regulate
the use, form, design and compatibility of development. Legally, a zoning
plan is usually enacted as a by-law with the respective procedures.
 There are a great variety of zoning types, some of which focus on regulating
building form and the relation of buildings to the street with mixed-uses,
known as form-based, others with separating land uses, known as use-
based or a combination thereof.
 Similar urban planning methods have dictated the use of various areas for
particular purposes in many cities from ancient times.
 Examples: For example, if you wanted to open a business in an area that
was zoned as "residential," you might not be able to do it, unless you
received a variance (exception).

4. USES OF LAND
The use of land in town planning will be classified into two
categories:
1. Profit-making uses of land
2. Non profit-making uses of land
1. Profit-making uses of land: The land which is
developed with profit motive is said to be used for
profit-making and the sites developed for office,
residences, industries, etc. are the examples of
profit-making uses of land.

5. 2. Non-profit-making uses of land: The land which is developed
without any motive of profit-making is said to be used for non-profit-
making and it includes playground, parks, road, government offices,
etc. The main non-profit-making use in urban area will naturally be
the roads. The relation between profit-making use of land and non-
profit-making use of land should be noted. The profitable uses of
land are highly dependent on the non-profit uses of land.

6. OBJECTS OF ZONING
The main purposes of zoning are described below:
 Zoning’s recognized purpose is to promote common good and
general welfare of the community as a whole.
 It is main tool for planner for achieve his goal. The planner gets
opportunities for designing for future growth and development of
town.
 It is very useful for planner for making any town planning scheme
effective and successful.
 The zoning affords proper coordination of various public amenities
like transport, water supply, drainage, electric power etc.

7. OBJECTS OF ZONING
 It also requires consideration of future growth and
development, adequacy of drainage and storm sewers, public streets,
pedestrian walkways,
density of population, and many other factors that are within legisla
tive competence.
 Zoning helps city planners bring about orderly growth and change. I
t controls population density and
helps create attractive, healthful residential areas. In addition, zonin
g helps assure property owners
and residents that the characteristics of nearby areas will
remain stable.

8. ADVANTAGES OF ZONING
1. Danger from fire.
2. Future Development.
3. General amenities.
4. Health of community.
5. Population distribution.
6. Public utility services.
In general it may be suggested that zoning promotes health, safety,
prosperity, orderly development and overall welfare of the
community.

9. IMPORTANCE OF ZONING
 The importance of zoning has been recognized during the last
century as a measure to control and to regulate uses of land. The
zoning proves to be essential and fundamental to evolve
comprehensive town planning and because of this fact, it is
accommodated in present times in planning legislation of most of the
centuries of the world.
 Zoning allow the specification of new development in all sorts ways –
building height, style, etc. zoning also enable a city to grow
sustainably in the future. The zoning guarantees that the future
development of the town will be in accordance with the zoning plan
which has been devised to serve the welfare of the community in the
best possible manner.

10. There is some example showing the undesirable situations
which might develop in the absence of zoning are as
follows:
 The big apartment flats of big heights may be constructed very near to
small cottages or houses and thereby, they suffer from loss of light and
air for surrounding structure.
 The development centers of public interest may take place at random
without any considerations of their surrounding and hence their
functioning result into wastage of time, money and space
 The unsightly factories giving obnoxious gases and untimely noises
invade the residential area of the town and by the way of their working,
they make the residential area unfit for living.
 The public amenities may be provided as the need arises and ultimately,
a time may come when it’s become either too costly or practically
impossible to alter or to modify such amenities.

11. ASPECTS OF ZONING
The zoning is related to the following three important
aspects:
1. Density Zoning
2. Height Zoning
3. Use Zoning

12. DENSITY ZONING: In density zoning, the density of population in
the residential areas is controlled by means of suitable rules and
regulations.
Indirect measures are adopted to have effective
density zoning:
1)The front, side and rear margins of the boundaries are specified.
2)The maximum height of the building is specified.
3) The maximum size of allotment for each house is specified.
4) The number of houses per unit area is limited.
5) The ratio of total site area to the total built-up floor area is specified.

13. HEIGHT ZONING: The height zoning aims at controlling the height of
buildings with due consideration of contents of the buildings and the
street width/ the marginal open spaces for the provision of light and
ventilation.
The height zoning affords the following advantages:
1) Controls the development of central business area of the cities and it
thereby assists in solving the problems associated with such heavy
concentration e.g. traffic congestion etc.
2) It is found that if buildings with uniform height are constructed on
important streets or roads, it gives pleasing aesthetic appearance.
3) It prevents an undue monopoly of light and ventilation by some tall
buildings at the expense of adjacent units of small heights.

14. USE ZONING: This is the most important aspect of zoning and it
defines the uses to which various parts of the town will be put.
They are classified into four sub-divisions:
(1) Residential zone
(2) Commercial zone
(3) Industrial zone
(4) Recreational zone

15. TRANSITION ZONE
 In order to have a smooth zone from one zone to another, a
transition zone is sometimes accommodated in zoning. The
transition zone links up two adjoining zones and forms a
boundary between the two.
 The most important fact to be remembered is that the boundary
between the two zones should be well distinguished by boundary
line of plots instead of streets.

16. ZONAL PLAN FOR MILITARY TOWNS
 The acquisition of adequate land is made to
accommodate the number and types of units to be
located in a military town.
Zonal plan is most suitable places for:
1. To learn and train
2. To live and work
3. To play and relax.

17. Detailed zoning for a military town takes into consideration
the following factor:
1. Conservation of environment.
2. Functional grouping of major and other allied sub units.
3. Location of units generating noise, smoke, smell, etc. To
minimize environmental ill effect.
4. Minimum distance between the place of work, residential zones
and central amenities.
5. Road circulation pattern.
6. Store holding units along peripheral roads.
7. Zones for the bulk external services.

18. Economy of zoning
 One of the virtues of zoning is that great improvements could be
done without serious liabilities on the part of tax-payers, if zones are
pre-planned. Of course, considerable amount of money will be
required for land acquisition, road improvements and various other
aspects of the implementation of town planning schemes. But the
same can be minimized and extra costs which might result due to
charges, addition, alterations and modification after the town has
been developed without zoning can certainly be avoided.
 The zoning is essential also as the basis for economy in carrying out
all site planning work and local development schemes.

19. It may further be noted that zoning indirectly helps in
reducing costs because the use of land is known
definitely and hence sewer lines, water lines and
various other public services required for the town life
can be designed and laid in the best efficient way.

20. ZONING POWER
 This is totally about the rules and regulations of town.
 The Rules and Regulations power will given to the local authorities.
Such power includes the land approval of proposed structure,
prohibiting of the undesirable use of land, etc.
 In general, it can be stated that zoning regulations are meant to
improve health, welfare and convenience of community. If better
result from zoning are to be expected, these powers are to be revised
and elevated on liberal scale.

21.  Maps for zoning
 The map showing the existing use of land marked in different colors such
as residential, commercial, etc.
 The map should also show the portions of detached houses, semi detached
houses, flats and apartment houses ,etc.
 It should be also marked on the map the position of all manufacturing
plants, public properties, parks ,play-Grounds, etc.
 The map showing density of population in different areas of the town and
expressed either as houses Per unit area should be prepared.
 The map showing land values in the different sections of the town
should be prepared.
 The map showing the details gathered from traffic survey should be
prepared.

22. Land use and neighborhood
planning
 Land-use zoning is the term used for a branch of urban planning
encompassing various disciplines which seek to order and regulate
land use in an efficient and ethical way, thus preventing land-use
conflicts. Governments use land-use planning to manage the
development of land within their jurisdictions. In doing so, the
governmental unit can plan for the needs of the community while
safeguarding natural resources. To this end, it is the systematic
assessment of land and water potential, alternatives for land use, and
economic and social conditions in order to select and adopt the best
land-use options. Often one element of a comprehensive plan, a land-
use plan provides a vision for the future possibilities of development in
neighborhoods, districts, cities, or any defined planning area.

23. Neighborhood Planning
 Neighborhood planning gives communities direct power to develop a
shared vision for their neighborhood and shape the development and
growth of their local area. They are able to choose where they want new
homes, shops and offices to be built, have their say on what those new
buildings should look like and what infrastructure should be provided,
and grant planning permission for the new buildings they want to see
go ahead. Neighborhood planning provides a powerful set of tools for
local people to ensure that they get the right types of development for
their community where the ambition of the neighborhood is aligned
with the strategic needs and priorities of the wider local area.